The Fruit of the Spirit

I’ve got some bad news for the orange lovers among us. The state of California has experienced a significant amount of frost that’s affected much of their orange crop. Though this won’t affect the prices of orange juice (much of which comes from Florida) it will drive up the cost of oranges for at least part of the winter.

This is just another instance and reminder of the precarious nature of fruit farming. Most fruit must grow in idyllic conditions so it can grow and develop ideally. Too much rain, not enough rain, prolonged drought and frost can wreak havoc on fruit’s delicate nature. While that may be true of natural fruit it may be the opposite with spiritual fruit.

The character of a godly life (called the fruit of the Spirit by Paul in Gal. 5:22-23) is the product of the Spirit’s work in our lives in the midst adverse circumstances. Our spiritual transformation begins the moment of our new birth and continues throughout the rest of our lives. And if the Scriptures are any judge God’s got plenty of work to do on us. He accomplishes this through the powerful work of the Spirit, the example and intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ, His true, life-giving word and the constant and at times contentious human environment around us. Our network of relationships with family, friends, co-workers, classmates, neighbors and church members is the atmosphere in which the Spirit produces His character within us. The work of the Spirit in our lives is slow, careful, painstaking and absolutely necessary. At times we’re tempted to take the easy way out. Like the Galatians we want to substitute easy, man made rules that give the appearance of godliness without the substance. Sadly, we all too often want to settle for the equivalent of plastic fruit that looks good and is perhaps cheaper than the real thing, but can never offer any real nourishment.

The Spirit’s fruit grows within us as we feed on the nutrients of God’s word and remain in the human environment in which God has placed us. True, like the natural environment the people climate can at times be unstable, unpredictable and even harsh. However, unlike natural fruit that may shrivel and die under difficult conditions God’s people can flourish as the Spirit’s power works within us. By God’s grace and the Spirit’s power we’ll see ourselves genuinely praying for, seeking and working toward the best for those around us. Thus, we’ll begin to love others as Christ has loved us. Moreover when the storms of life swell around us the Spirit will continue His work within us by producing a consistent attitude and disposition of joy and peace. We’ll find ourselves growing in our delight of our Lord, His word, His worship and the great salvation He’s given us. This joy will be constant even as our circumstances change, sometimes good, sometimes not so good. The quality of peace will be evident as the Spirit acts to generate a settled, calm and tranquil attitude within us despite our outward situations.

A few things to mention as we conclude. One, the main work of the Spirit in our lives is the growth, production and ripening of godly character. The Spirit-filled life is one in which His fruit as listed in Gal. 5:22-23 grows more and more evident in our lives. Second, since we all grow in an atmosphere of human relationships some of which can be as rough and harsh as a cold winter frost it’s crucial that the church of the living God be a place of calm and genuine warmth. Showing an abundant measure of humility, gentleness, patience and loving tolerance may be just what someone needs to weather the storms the Spirit uses to mold and shape our lives into the very likeness of Jesus Christ.

To Him Who Loves Us…
Pastor Lance